Tale of the Basilisk
by Vetis
Summary: Sequel to Tears of a Basilisk. Hogwarts is starting to heal, so the star characters feel that a little R&R is in order. Sev learns the hard way that sugar and already hyper pranksters do not mix, and that someone gets horny and creative when he travels.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.

_Note: This story is a sequel, and won't make a lot of sense without reading the first one, Tears of a Basilisk. Still, it should be a lot of fun regardless._

Journal entry the first.

Before I begin this narrative, let me make something perfectly clear. I, Severus Snape, am completely, utterly in love with one Salazar Slytherin, wizard and prankster extraordinaire. That being said, at the moment I sorely want to hex him into the next century. These statements seem at odds with each other at first, but taking into consideration my current situation I am sure that my reasoning would seem quite logical. At the moment, I am currently in my own recently expanded quarters, and the love of my life is nowhere to be seen, nor his accomplices. Normally, when such a prank has been played on my person, I would be searching high and low with fire in my eyes for the culprits, returning to the fearsome figure I presented back in my Death Eater days. I felt that this effect, dramatic as it is, would have been somewhat ruined by the presence of the oversized pastel pink rabbit ears currently sticking out of my head and the matching, equally oversized rabbit tail. Normally, such things I would simply cover up with a robe, since I learned a bit ago that trying to use my own magic to un-prank myself only makes things worse. Here shines the true twisted genius of Salazar, for no matter how many layers I try to cover myself with, they phase through and stick out just as prominently as if I was naked. Hence, the explanation for not only my stationary habit but my hexing instinct as well, for this prank stems from my opposition to the nickname that Sal thought would be charming to call me nearly all the time, Snuggle Bunny. I will grudgingly admit that such nicknames, when brought up during after-sex or before-sex conversations has a certain charm coming from him, but such pet names, pardon the pun, certainly do not belong in staff meetings. Nor do they belong during mealtimes with a goodly amount of students eavesdropping. I will be the first to admit that I have lost most of my fearsome reputation with events of late, although mentioning the dreaded Journal still makes all but the most stalwart staff members cringe, but I still have to live up to some degree of intimidation in order to make sure my students don't blow themselves up, which is rather difficult to do when you can hear snickered Snuggle Bunny references during lectures. I haven't given out that many detentions in a long time.

I do love him, and to some degree I have grown to appreciate his pranks, but this is war. Oh, who am I kidding, he has me wrapped around his little finger, and he knows it. Despite my fuming fury at the moment, I can predict how exactly this situation is going to resolve itself. First, he will eventually return to our chambers when he senses that the novelty has worn off. Then he will remove it somehow, alerting me to his presence. Rather aggravated still, I will search through the chambers and will find him in a random room, either completely naked or wearing some type of confection that he knows I have a kink for, with a come hither look in his eyes . He will gaze at me and ask for forgiveness as he starts to fondle himself, and since I tend to react like a sex-addled teenager around him I will rush to him and proceed to make him scream loud enough to make the portraits in the nearest hallway blush. By the time we're done, the anger will be gone. It's truly a brilliant setup he has, for he can get away with just about everything. Even the press has become his most stalwart defender, a minor miracle in and of itself. Well, while waiting for Salazar to arrive so I can accept his 'apology', as it were, I might as well recall the events that have happened in the past few weeks since Sal's triumphant return.

Needless to say, his first complete day back was incredibly hectic and monumental, rocking the wizarding world on its axis with one masterful stroke, an impressive feat for a man just risen from a tomb. One thing I have discovered about Sal that, like many of his real character traits, was swept away from public view is that he has impossibly high energy levels, easily rivaling a small child being left in a candy store overnight. If he wasn't in possession of this trait, his public debut would have likely been stalled for a few days at least. As it was, when we woke very late the following day, we found Hogwarts to be surrounded by an army of sorts, creating a din to rival any other invading army. Unlike their predecessors, though, this army was not armed with swords or wands, but Dicta-Quills and cameras. The press had caught wind of Salazar's dramatic address to the entire population of Hogwarts, and were extremely anxious to either debunk this claim, sing his praises, or ask him whether he prefers coffee or tea. Once we actually felt that we could climb out of bed without jumping each other like horny teenagers, I mentioned the press onslaught to Sal, which earned me a sarcastic smirk coupled with a playful twinkle in his eyes. With a resigned shrug, I followed him out of our quarters, where we were almost immediately accosted by a stressed Minerva, twitching Flitwick, and silently snickering Tom, whom I could tell was dragged along by the other two. They were apparently stressed about the press onslaught, but Sal quickly calmed them down and asked them to escort the more orderly members of the press into the Great Hall after breakfast. I think that I must have born a gobsmacked expression on my face when he relayed that bit of information, for the press had really never been his ally in either life. He saw this and gave me a reassuring wink, his eyes shining with untold mischief. I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or apprehensive about his reassurance, but since I figured that I would have no input regarding his already planned-out actions, I decided to just enjoy the ride.

When we entered the Great Hall for breakfast, almost the entire student body was waiting for us. As soon as they saw that Salazar was with us, they all stood as one and burst into thunderous applause, echoing their response to his earlier debut. Grinning from ear to ear, Salazar bowed and waved a hand toward the food, taking a seat next to mine. Taking their cue, the breakfast rook on a more normal tone, and when Salazar had finally finished the massive amounts of food placed before him, he rose and offered me his hand, eyes twinkling. "Well, Sev, our public awaits. But first..." He trailed off and rose a hand in the air, signaling that he had an announcement to make. All the students and staff quieted down faster than I'd ever seen before, a minor miracle in itself.

Satisfied with their attention, Salazar cleared his throat and cast a Sonorus charm. "As you may know, there is a small army of press currently camped outside of the grounds. I do appreciate the discretion that every one has showed so far, and as a return of that good faith I wish to make an announcement, one that I plan to reveal to the press shortly after I enlighten those whom lives it will directly affect. As of the beginning of the next school year, it has been unanimously elected by your faculty that I step up and take the position that I held many ages ago, that of the Headmaster of Hogwarts. After due consideration, I decided to accept the position, not for my own glory but in memory of my dear friends and fellow Founders. Hogwarts has been ill served in the past, true, but with the combined efforts of her students and faculty we can usher in a new golden age, one that would make those that have gone before you proud. I know that every soul in this room, and those that will join us at the beginning of next year, has the ability to realize this dream, this ideal." Amazingly, for once Salazar didn't get to finish his speech, for as soon as the first part of his announcement sunk in the entire room burst into thunderous applause and cheers that actually halted him in his tracks. A wry grin on his face, he leaned forward towards me and whispered, "Hm, I think they like the idea love." A snort was my oh-so-eloquent reply to this statement of the obvious, which made him grin even wider.

After a quick bow to his appreciative audience, Salazar left the Head Table with myself and my ever-present overly-familiar familiar and started heading towards the press army. We were nearly to the front door, passing the still-cheering students when Anubis, somewhat clothed and coming from seemingly nowhere, decided to join our merry party. I cast a curious glance his way, since having all three pranksters in one area for any length of time can be...interesting, to say the least. My fire poker, which is still somewhat sentient and pink, can attest to this. In response to my glance, the god simply winked, grinned his toothy grin, and flanked Salazar, almost as if protecting him. If Salazar noticed the extra company, he didn't show it, for his incredibly sharp mind was focused on the potential menace the press presented. He flung open the gates, surprising some of the press that were camped out nearby. From their expressions, I could tell that they were expecting something Voldemort-esque, or at the very least righteous anger at having his privacy disturbed so shortly after being revived. The look of confusion on almost every face when Salazar instead smiled at them and gave a playful nod was enough to bring the crow to hysterical laughter, almost taking me with him.

Salazar took an authoritative stance and raised his head, signaling that he was about to address the crowd. "Well, it seems that news travels fast. I know that many of you have only heard snippets and rumours regarding my return, and I am here now to answer any reasonable questions you have. There are some topics that I will not delve into yet, such as some of the circumstances of my return, for in truth it is simply too soon." He took a step forward, and looked quite pleased when he observed that everyone listening was completely focused on his every word. "Let me lay some of your concerns to rest, right here and now. I know that many of my writings have come to light, and hopefully they have helped to lighten the stigma that those who bear my surname have unjustly suffered under for far too long. All of the dogma that you have grown up with about the bogeyman Slytherin is simply propaganda that was spread once the living memory of what I, what all the founders were like for that matter passed from the world." An indignant fire began to shine in his features, although a tinge of sadness was present as he reviewed his memories. "I do not profess to be a saint, but nor am I a devil. For those I swear to protect and cherish, I will hold to my word with even my dying breath. Twice now I have died protecting those in my charge, and in the case of the second I sacrificed myself for people who would have gladly hung me from any one of the towers or thrown me in a bonfire to simply be rid of me. My only crime is that I happen to possess a large well of magical power as well as a host of other talents that I have complete control over, which many perceived as a threat regardless of the fact that I would never, then or now, abuse the gifts that I have been given."

He paused here, looking at the ground with a contemplative look. I glanced out at the crowd and was mildly shocked to see a wealth of sympathetic faces, several of which were openly weeping. He began speaking once more, breaking the silence that had enveloped the area. "I know that you wield a great and tremendous power, and that any one of you could damage or even dismantle my efforts to restore Hogwarts to its former glory, that of a haven where the young can learn to control their own gifts and realize their true potential, and I know that I am unable to halt your words. I have been given an unforeseen third chance at life, and my greatest desire runs nowhere near what the stories suggest of me. All that I wish is what my dearest, best friends and I sought long ago, when we were huddled around a campfire deep in the forest, dreaming of the world that we could create and the noble legacies we would leave behind. I have lived and died protecting those that I readily swore to protect over a thousand years ago, and while I would still honour that pact, my greatest wish is to simply live, surrounded by my new friends and the one I love, and to salvage my legacy which was unjustly tarnished not for my own sake, but for my descendants and those that are sorted into my House. This is all that I wish. Simple, these desires may seem, but such peace is a state that I have only rarely encountered throughout my long existence, and is quite precious to me. Now I lay myself in your hands, you have the power to help me achieve that peace or destroy my legacy once and for all." He visibly swayed after this statement, trying unsuccessfully to hide a yawn. "Forgive my fatigue, but it seems that rising from the dead can be quite exhausting. Who knew?", he quipped, a smirk showing on his face despite the fact that he was leaning against me to remain vertical. "I know that I promised to answer your questions, but I graciously ask to do such at a later date, for it's not fair to either party if I am about to fall asleep in the middle of a session."

With this final statement, he made an effort to walk away under his own power, but couldn't hide a stumble that I caught. Even as we walked away, Sal leaning on me and shaking slightly, I could feel the pensive air that enveloped the press army, and despite my love's fatigue I couldn't hide a smirk that was echoed on Sal's own face. We decided not to enter through the main gates, rather we Apparated directly into our chambers. Such was my concern for Salazar at that moment that I failed to notice that the other two members of our motley crew had gone off on their own. Seeing my worried look, Sal chuckled and pulled me into a hug. "I'm alright dear, I'm not really that tired. It's just that talking to the press strained my nerves a tad too much."

Chuckling slightly to myself, I pulled him into a gentle kiss. "Salazar, you were bloody marvelous. You had them wrapped around your little finger the whole time, it was absolutely brilliant. I think that, just maybe, you've gained some powerful allies. Still, I want you to lie down and rest a bit." Ushering him over to the bed, I gave him a playful shove back onto the bed not quite realizing that he had grabbed ahold of my robes, pulling me down with him. After a bit more of mock wrestling, I held him in my arms, nuzzling my head in the crook of his shoulder as he made some very contented sounds. If he had any feline ancestors, I'm sure that he would have been purring even as he fell asleep.

Reminisces aside, the fact remains that as I finish this entry my fuzzy ears and tail have mysteriously vanished, signaling that the hunt is on. Somewhere nearby is a rather horny Sal who likes to pretend that he is sorry for these pranks simply so that I would have my wicked way with him. Who could have guessed that he was into this type of role play. I will continue this tale at a later date, for now the hunt is afoot, and for once it's Sal Season.


	2. Chapter 2

Journal entry the second.

My habit when writing in this journal is to be sitting in my quarters, a drink in one hand and an at-peace, or at least non-twitching, Founder resting his feet in my lap, letting me use him as a writing desk. At the moment, however, I am rather far away from Hogwarts indeed, and the love of my life is currently chasing Anubis around with what looks like a flaming marshmallow, both of them laughing like madmen, which is perhaps not that far from the truth. The crow has decided to watch the spectacle with me as the various other parties at the Council gathering dodge their erratic path, gnawing on something that even I cannot identify. While I had earlier expressed my interest in coming to such a gathering of many of the more powerful non-human races, I somehow did not picture flaming marshmallows, nor could I imagine a drinking contest being held with a very large dragon, a rather scary looking leprechaun, a unicorn, a large crow, and Salazar as part of the opening ceremony. I was amazed when my newfound familiar managed to out-drink the dragon, but fell just shy of the leprechaun. Salazar of course blew them away, but it was close between him and the unicorn. I somehow don't think that I will ever see a pure-white unicorn stumble to the nearest bushes to unleash a copious stream of vomit ever again. The dragon and the leprechaun are currently teaching each other fight songs, and now that the flaming marshmallow has finally disintegrated Sal is now chasing Anubis with what looks like a heavily modified cricket bat, and the god has shifted to a slightly more jackal-esque form, alternating between running on two and four legs and grinning like a fool the whole time. For some reason I am inexorably reminded of a college kegger, albeit with less skin showing. This isn't the normal time for the Council to convene, but they shifted it to honour Salazar's return properly, which would probably explain why almost every being here is in some state of debauchery. Really, for ancient or timeless beings and noble species, they can throw a hell of a party. Not to mention that, as the mate of the legendary Salazar Slytherin in addition to my own reputation as a Potions master, I've earned a goodly amount of respect and camaraderie from the other attendees. Apparently, they were considering inviting a suitable human into their ranks for some time before Salazar's return, and I was on the short list already. While I have this rare moment of peace, I think that I will chronicle some more of the events that occurred directly after Salazar's rebirth before they decide to throw me into the mix.

Salazar's first approach of the press managed to achieve something that I think has never occurred before in the entire duration of human history: placate the press corps to the point where not a single one printed anything at first for fear of getting their story wrong. Short of just a few one-liners announcing his return, the press, formerly notorious for misinterpreting a cough as the Plague, had mentioned nothing of Salazar, not even commenting on his fashion sense or gossiping about why he was leaning on me, nor about his strange companions. So cowed and awed they were that the next day after Salazar's proclamations a few elected members of the press corps approached with their stories in hand, wishing to get them approved before printing. When they handed their drafts to Sal, his jaw dropped and, for perhaps the first time, he was caught completely flatfooted by his own success. With a gentle smile, he handed each draft back without looking, implying his trust. I was just about to grab the papers myself to check them over, but the avian fiend got to them first, settling on the nearest perch to read them over, which apparently was yours truly. Chuckling to myself as the reporters stared at the overly large bird with trepidation and no small amount of fear, the crow simply nodded and dropped the papers to the floor, cawing his amusement as the reporters scrambled to pick them up. Rolling my eyes at the antics, I notice Sal concealing his own impish grin behind his hand, and together we took our leave, retiring to our quarters for some well-deserved peace and quiet, provided that god and crow amused themselves for a few hours.

We sat in front of the fire in companionable silence for a while, sipping firewhiskey and basking in the warmth wrapping around us like a blanket. Suddenly, Sal decided to break the silence. "Sev, if the war had gone according to Dumbledore's plans, did you expect to live past it?", he asked in a hushed, solemn tone. Shocked somewhat by the gravity of the question, I glanced at him and saw that this was something that he had been wondering for quite some time.

"To be honest, no, I didn't expect to survive despite whom would have won. Without your influence, Voldemort was a monster, and Dumbledore even more so." Pausing a moment to start stroking Sal's hair gently, I continued. "I don't think I would have wanted to, anyway." Staring at him with as much love as I could muster, I gave him a soft smile. "What, in my previous miserable, empty shell of a life did I really have to live for after all. Students who hated and feared me, a complete absence of a love life, no real friends I could trust completely. No matter who would have won, the entire wizarding world would have been in shambles anyway."

As I was about to continue, I felt that he was shaking, almost as if crying, but as I turned my head to examine his face I saw traces of wry humour flit across his features, coupled with silent chuckling. "Ah, Sev, you couldn't have known, but you've almost stated my own thoughts verbatim regarding my own previous misery. If I hadn't had my restoration in the Chamber, I don't think I would have wanted to live in a world that either of them would rule. Not that I would have had a chance to live in it, even if I had lived to see the end, since a weapon is only valuable in times of war, and can be a costly hindrance afterwards."

A pensive silence came over the room as we both took a moment to ponder how different things could have easily become, and that if not for a series of unlikely and improbable events neither of us would even be sitting here, snuggling up in front of a roaring fire in such a domestic setting. Suddenly, as if by mutual agreement, we pulled each other close and shared a kiss of such heat and passion that it eclipsed even the fire before us. Without breaking contact I shifted him so that he was straddling my hips, running my hands up and down his back as the kiss escalated. Finally breaking away, Sal looked into my eyes with such a tender, yet desperate look and stroked the side of my face gently. "What a shame, if the world had lost you...", he murmured, and with a deft wave of his hand he vanished both of our outfits, making us both groan at the sudden skin-to-skin contact. His words, spoken with such tenderness and sincerity, touched my heart so deeply that for a moment I was simply overwhelmed with the intense feelings of love, gazing at the utterly breathtaking man that, for some reason, had chosen to share his life with one such as I. Past the point of words, I grabbed the nearest bottle of oil which, thanks to his pranking streak we now have many bottles stashed throughout our quarters, slicked myself up, and sank deep into him even as I reclaimed his mouth, trying to let him get swept away in the tides of emotion as well.

Despite the desperation which began to affect us, we made love with slow, languid movements, Salazar rocking back and forth leisurely on my lap, utterly lost in the exquisite pleasure we were sharing. My hands roamed all over his body, hitting every erogenous zone that I had found so far, making him near convulse in pleasure. Once, to break the desperate mood, I decided to hit his one ticklish spot, which is oddly enough right under his chin, sending us both into fits of chuckles even as he was riding us close to orgasm. The desperate air removed, we simply gazed deep into each other's eyes as, with no rush, we climaxed at the same time, the waves of pleasure washing over us for what seemed like an eternity. As we came down from that high, we remained as we were, entwined in front of the fire with our arms securely wrapped around the other, muttering sweet nothings in the other's ear. After some time Salazar fell asleep, at which point I gently rose, careful not to disturb him, and carried him to our bedroom to lay him down. For a moment I just stood there and gazed at him sprawled out on my bed, peacefully sleeping, and I uncontrollably flashed on the first time I had laid him down, the night that he was brought back to life, for he was now lying in almost exactly the same pose. I uttered a small thanks to the god that had brought him back, who probably was now running amok in Diagon Alley with the twins, and climbed into bed, smiling as Sal unconsciously wrapped himself around me the moment I slid under the covers as if I was the world's largest teddy bear. Right before I nodded off to sleep, I took a moment to consider how lucky I was to not only be alive, but to live in a world where I have everything that I never dreamed I could experience. I kissed him tenderly on the forehead as the alluring call of Morpheus claimed me for the night.

I wish I could say that we awoke that morning in our usual fashion, a gradual return to awareness followed by a fairly heavy makeout session. Alas, that was not the case this morning, for we were awoken by a dramatic shaking of the bed, as if a small localized earthquake had decided to strike. Preparing my best death-glare for the fiend who dared disturb our rest, it was wasted on the hyper mostly naked god bouncing on our bed like a demented toddler. Seeing that we were awake, although Sal was pretending that the violent shaking wasn't disturbing him, an effect ruined by the low-grade muttered curses, he stopped bouncing on the bed and instead thrust a rolled-up copy of the Daily Prophet in my face. Still hazy from sleep, I took it without thinking, an act which struck Sal as absolutely hilarious. Normally I'm able to quickly discern the reasons for his laughter, but it took me a few minutes to realize that this scene was something out of a demented Norman Rockwell illustration. Groaning slightly, I sat up and, steeling myself for the worst, was absolutely shocked by the headline and content that followed. Apparently after Salazar addressed the press that first time, some of the students were interviewed and gave very accurate descriptions of his grand debut, along with their impressions. It would seem that, either from respect or fear, the press had decided to do right by Salazar and reflect what a truly remarkable man he is. I showed him the Prophet, which made him snort in amusement and burrow back under the covers, for he is definitely not a morning person under even the best of circumstances. I set the paper aside for the moment and rose out of bed to prepare for class, of which there were thankfully not too many left. Once I was fully ready, I took a moment to look tenderly at the sleeping, huddled form under the covers, and pressed a tender kiss against his lips before heading out the door to start the day.

I know that I may not seem to enjoy teaching, and truthfully dealing with people who will blow themselves up instead of reading quite clear directions on the board gets tiresome, but I do enjoy teaching those that show either a genuine interest or genuine talent for my chosen craft. Still, I think that I was anticipating the end of the school year even more than the students, for unbeknownst to my dear lover I had been thinking of all manner of things that we could do during the summer months before he resumed his rightful place as Headmaster of Hogwarts. Most of my previous summers have been uneventful or absolutely horrible, depending on whether the Dark Lord was involved, so the chance of a holiday that would actually be fun, with the most agreeable of company, was something I was looking forward to as well. Even in the maelstrom of events just prior, several thoughts had been popping up regarding couple references in the infamous, and now quite dusty, Journal, so I had decided that perhaps he would really enjoy a summer road trip, going wherever the winds may blow. I had not yet proposed this idea to Sal, but I was more than reasonably sure that he would jump at the chance for foot-loose travel. Indeed, part of the joy I was feeling was thinking about what his reaction would be when I mentioned my idea.

When classes finally came to a close for the day, I made a beeline for our quarters, knowing full well that Sal probably slept most of the day, and upon my arrival I smirked as my hypothesis was confirmed. I was actually relieved that he was sleeping so much, for he had been successfully hiding his fatigue for too long. I don't care if you are a legendary Founder, rising from the dead is not something to be shrugged off like a hangover. I stripped down despite the early hour and slid into bed with him, grinning as his eyes opened and gazed at me with pure, unadulterated lust. Unable to resist the power of his gaze, I leaned in for a sweet kiss that quickly turned heatedly passionate, momentarily distracting me from my original purpose. After eventually pulling up for air, Salazar looked at me inquisitively, picking up that there was something on my mind, not surprising considering how perceptive he's proven himself to be.

"Sal, I've been thinking about this for a while. It's been ages since either one of us has had a holiday worth mentioning, and before we get bogged down with all the responsibilities for the next school year, I was thinking that we would take a road trip." I smirked playfully at Sal as I watched his eyes widen in surprise and gleam with mischief. "I've just been thinking about those carefree wandering days that you described, and it would be a nice change." I would have continued my well-thought out dialogue, but I was happily interrupted by Salazar smothering my face in ecstatic kisses. "Well, I take it that you're interested in my proposal, then. I was considering leaving right after the graduation ceremony."

"Ah, Sev, dearest, that sounds like a fantastic idea, so sweet of you to think of it." He smirked at me as I flushed from being described as 'sweet'. "You do realize, though, that it will likely not be just the two of us on this trip, and that is a factor that we really have no control over." He chuckled at the thought even as I blanched slightly, thinking of the potential havoc that god and crow could unleash outside of Hogwarts, or even the wizarding world. "And Sev, darling, I was thinking that, if he has no other plans, that Tom could join us as well, at least for part of it." He looked at me, somehow managing to pull off a puppy-dog look despite his slightly debauched state. Remembering how dear family was to him, I nodded in agreement. I cannot deny him anything, and besides, I hadn't necessarily thought of the trip as being restricted to just us two, so Tom's addition was no big deal to me whatsoever. "Mm, I can't wait Sev, it'll be great. There are so many places we can visit, some I haven't been to since my first life.."

Before Salazar could continue that thought, we heard a strange series of clanking, cawing, scraping, and barking-esque sounds coming from the living room. Sharing a look, we both rose out of bed, throwing on a robe even though Sal decided not to bother, and went to investigate. What we found almost defies description, but for the sake of full disclosure I shall try. It would seem that my fire poker, in addition to having retained its pink colour, still retained some sentience and flying ability as well. There was an empty bottle of firewhiskey on the table, which would explain why my erstwhile familiar was currently trying to fight it, chasing it and being chased around the room accordingly. What remains a mystery is why there was a miniature neon green and orange cowboy hat strapped to the poker, and why the crow was wearing a matching pair of miniature chaps. On the floor, barking-laughing hysterically, was Anubis, who for some reason was wearing the matching jacket and horse tail that may or may not have been a prop. What made us both cock our heads in confusion and horrified wonder, however, was the fact that the entire living room was covered in glowing purple cotton candy, which the god was chewing on inbetween laughing fits. Breaking away from this sight, we looked at each other, and Sal was the first one to speak up. "It's not too long until graduation, right? I mean, would they notice too much if we just left?" I just shook my head, letting a mischievous gleam appear in my own eyes. "Now Sal, you wouldn't want to disappoint those looking forward to your speech, now, would you?" He bowed his head in defeat, and we returned our gazes to the surreal scene before us, the temptation to just run away growing with every moment.

As I sit here writing, we are but a few short days from the graduation ceremony, and the beginning of our first real holiday. Even with the company that we expect, and in fact perhaps because of it, I have a feeling that this will be a road trip for the ages. I shall take my leave for the moment, for Salazar is now approaching me with the cricket bat, a truly Puckish look on his face. Knowing him as well as I do by now, the thrill of the chase has awakened some of his latent Maenad instincts, which means that it will be a very...interesting night for me. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, but I think I'll make him work for it. First, to secure this journal from any external forces, for the unicorn is still looking a tad on the greenish side, and is wearing a sparkly party hat on his horn. Hm. An interesting night this will be indeed.


	3. Chapter 3

Journal Entry the third

It is one of the truer, if clichèd, sayings that one learns something new every day. For example, I learned today that ancient gods should never, NEVER get behind the wheel of a car, moving or otherwise. I'm fairly sure that parts of London are still recovering from his last romp, and now they have new images and events to blot from the public consciousness. Of course, he thinks he did nothing wrong, and seemed to enjoy the wild, albeit short ride at the helm. Now if the rest of our party had been in the car with him, I would not be so inclined to look at the situation with wry, dark humour, not that he would have intentionally injured Salazar of course, but just the possibility would have been enough to bring out some old Death Eater instincts. As it stands, we somehow managed to find a small bed and breakfast to hole up in while the local police force try to figure out how a decently sized car managed to end up in the crown of a large oak tree with surprisingly little damage done to either. Fortunately, the car provided a sufficient distraction for even our rather unusual group to slink off almost unnoticed. I say almost, of course, because for our party to go completely unnoticed would have required the car to suddenly start hovering and dropping chocolate bars wrapped in solid gold. It was a stroke of good fortune that we found this rather charming hotel that just happened to have two decently sized rooms available, albeit on separate floors. I almost feel sorry for Tom, having to share a room with Anubis and my erstwhile familiar. Almost. Tom didn't even try to talk me out of claiming a room for Salazar and myself, knowing that he had the proverbial snowball's chance of escaping the merry pranksters. Although, hmm, they all have been getting along fairly well recently, maybe they'll have some mercy on him. I can't bring myself to care too much, though, due to two main factors, one of which being the sight of my lover sprawled across the entire bed with the moonlight shining in, sleeping peacefully. The other reason, which is why I am awake at this witching hour, has left me slightly unsettled. Before I delve into the most recent happenings, I think that I shall continue where I left off with my narrative of the early days of Salazar's return.

In the past, graduation ceremonies have always given me mixed feelings. During the high times of Voldemort, I knew that some of the graduating students would soon have the Mark burned into their skin, essentially condemning themselves in the eyes of the rest of the wizarding world. This left such a bitter taste in my mouth that what should have been a joyous occasion took on a fatalistic air. During the years where Voldemort was little but a scary story, graduation ceremonies were slightly more festive for me, although the thought of having to break in a fresh crop of terrified students usually led me to purchase several new bottles of firewhiskey, which would come in handy during the uneventful summer months. Indeed, graduation ceremonies have rarely been times of merriment for me, but after witnessing the latest such ceremony, I think that a change of mind is in order.

Anticipation was running high amongst the student body, for the graduating class this year was the one that once contained Harry Potter, a fact that I can tell amused Salazar to no end. The thought of addressing classmates that he knew in that other life from a completely different station would be right along with his twisted, highly ironic sense of humour, especially considering how many of them were rotten to him in his Boy Who Lived guise. This fact was already common knowledge, which made much of the graduating class more than a little tense, especially after the 'mysterious' disappearance of the other parts of the Golden Trio. Only a handful of individuals know the rough story of what happened to them, and I think the only two to know the full story are Salazar and his lich friend. So far none of us has seen fit to illuminate the students as to their fate, much as we are keeping the information about Dumbledore to ourselves. A bit of mystery always adds such spice to life, after all.

As the entire school and assorted parents and guardians filed into the Great Hall, many of them were highly nervous and jittery, not sure at all what to expect, and with good cause given the traumatic events that marred the previous year's graduation and the very recent addition of one of the most infamous wizards in our history to the faculty. Most of the graduating class were keeping their wands close, more for security than anything else, and many were constantly looking around in a way that would made Moody proud. The faculty stood at attention, fidgeting somewhat themselves, for not a one had been enlightened as to how Salazar was going to handle this ceremony. Even I was kept partially in the dark, and I might have been as clueless as the rest if I hadn't vigorously coaxed out several clues that I'm sure he didn't mean to shout out. Finally, as the tension in the air began to intensify, a sharp crack rent the air, making a goodly number of people jump as Salazar apparated directly in front of the rest of the faculty. I smirked at his puckish sense of humour, for if he so desired he could apparate almost soundlessly. As all eyes focused on his lithe figure, dressed in the same robes that he wore when he first stormed into the Great Hall, he smirked impishly and gave a little mock bow, which somehow silenced the entire room to the point where even harsh breathing echoed in the vast space. Always one for showmanship, he paced back and forth a few times, pretending to be pensive and brooding to work up the crowd, and finally he stopped and stood before the graduating class. For a few minutes, he just stared at them, making them even more nervous even though they seemed to be paralyzed by fear and apprehension. To this day, I'm reasonably sure that each one of them thought about how they had wronged this man in the past and was reliving each offense they committed. Very few remained calm, knowing that they were free of such guilt, less than even I thought. Finally, Salazar grinned at them, showing a few teeth that are a tad bit pointier than they should be, before backing up so that he could face the crowd and students simultaneously. Casting a wandless Sonorus charm, he finally began to address the crowd.

"I know that there are some of you among us who have realized the rather interesting and highly ironic twist of fate that has resulted in our current situation. In another life, if I had survived, my previous form should have been sitting amongst these wizards, waiting for his first taste of freedom and a chance to begin his life anew." He smirked here, a sarcastic yet highly amused look coming across his features. "Rarely, though, do things turn out the way one thought. Instead, I stand here today, before all assembled, to offer my congratulations and blessing to those that have managed to not only survive but thrive in what has been a very tumultuous time in the school's history. These students have been tested more so than just about any other class in recent memory, and if they manage to take these hard-won lessons and apply them to helping to build a stronger and more cohesive society, I have no doubt that every single student can achieve great things that would benefit every life that they touch." He paused here to turn to the class once more. "I know that many of you are feeling guilt and shame over some of your past actions, ones that only your fellow classmates were ever aware about, and many are expecting some type of retaliation. I can see the logic behind such a notion, truly." With this he gave them a genuine smile and leaned in close, eyes twinkling mischievously. "That is why I have decided to let your minds rest regarding that matter. Know that, as long as you remain true to yourselves and never attack those that I have sworn to protect, you have nothing to fear from me. What is done is done, and I am more than willing to forgive and forget, for no one can claim that they never made any mistakes in their youth. Learn from those events that you feel guilt about, and I will guarantee you that you will each be a stronger person for it. Truly, we all experienced some rather interesting times together, and I hope that, as you head out into the world, you not only cherish the good times but use the bad times to keep you on the path that you choose, the path that your heart tells you to tread. Fate and fortune are fickle things, but if one possesses the courage to stand by your deepest convictions, the heart to stand by those you care for, the intellect to analyze the problems and the cunning to figure a way out of the mire, your chances of making it in any world are greatly increased." He took a few steps back to survey the speechless and awed class with a slightly wistful, yet proud look in his eyes. "Yes, I know that each one of you is capable of these feats. Personally, I cannot wait to see how the world will be that much richer for having such a remarkable group of individuals using their strengths for the common good. Remember, as long as you hold the key concepts of the Founders you revere, and unite them as we were, nothing is impossible. My presence alone is a testament to this. " He paused here, and a wry smirk crossed his face once more. "Now go out there and make all those who once called these halls home proud by striving to your fullest potential, serving as an example to those who will follow you in years to come, and know that I am proud and honored to give this address today." With this final statement, he bowed his head slightly, prompting the stunned crowd to begin applauding, the sound thundering in the cavernous hall.

Now, most I'm sure thought that this would be the entirety of Salazar's address, but almost all missed how his eyes began to gleam with the pure mischief I am now quite familiar with, and most missed how the Weasley twins suddenly emerged from behind the faculty, sharing knowing grins and applauding in an exaggerated manner. It was almost comedic how those that recognized the twins began looking between them and Salazar, their heads whipping back and forth as if they were at a tennis match. When Salazar straightened and turned to look at the Weasleys, giving them a knowing grin and wink in return, all of the new graduates began looking at each other frantically, knowing that a prank was at hand. Seeing this, Salazar winked at them playfully, which prompted most to increase the frantic nature of their searches. "Oh, don't worry my dears, I said that there wouldn't be any retaliation after all. I just thought that you might enjoy one last chance to see your dear faculty in the throes of one of my infamous pranks, I know that you have gotten used to them in my absence." It was all I could do to keep from laughing as the class stopped searching themselves and turned their attention to the other professors, who were looking at each other and the Weasleys with increasing dread. Finally, to break the tension, Salazar and the twins pulled out an odd assortment of items, including a rubber chicken, a carrot, a rather wicked looking dagger, a strange looking crystal orb, a cricket bat, and the now infamous remote control with the big red button. Much to the shock and surprise of the crowd, the three pranksters began juggling all the items with impressive skill, and they would make sure that some item would very nearly press the big red button in midair with every pass. Finally, a couple of my fellow professors figured out that it might be prudent of them to seek other quarters, which snowballed into every professor save myself and Tom running for the hills in a very comedic fashion while the oblivious twins and Salazar were still juggling, singing a very old song to keep the rhythm. Right before they all made it to the door, the twins suddenly withdrew from the juggling, leaving Salazar to juggle them all with surprising skill and dexterity. Finally, with a few flicks of his wrists, some of the items went flying directly towards the fleeing faculty. Somehow, he managed to arrange it so that the rubber chicken ended up perched on Trelawney's head, the carrot was precariously balanced behind Madam Hooch's ear, and the cricket bat was flying with just enough momentum and force to deliver a playful smack to Filch's bottom. He still remained juggling the controller, dagger and orb, doing all kinds of tricks that he no doubt learned as a traveling performer, and with another flick of the wrist he sent the controller into my hands with a wink. Knowing something of what he had planned from our, ahem, vigorous sessions, I waited until he sent the dagger and orb into the air one last time before pressing the button. At once the orb began to shimmer, and with a trick that I have yet to figure out he sent the dagger straight through the orb, triggering a flash of light followed by a rather impressive fireworks display that filled the rafters of the hall. Those that weren't instantly mesmerized by the fireworks kept their eye on the now falling dagger, which Sal deftly plucked out of the air and stashed somewhere on his person. Once the faculty realized that they were faked out somewhat, they began to return to their previous spots, forgetting their embarrassment as all were captivated by the fireworks, which continued on for some time, and when the time for the grand finale came and went, applause rang throughout the hall. Many turned their eyes to the spot where Salazar was previously standing, only to be shocked when it was revealed that he was no longer there, replaced by a scarecrow with a "Gone Fishin' " sign around it's neck. While most stood confused, trying to figure out what was going on in his twisted, warped mind, I knew that in reality he had silently apparated into our quarters where he was finishing our preparations for the upcoming summer holiday, and after admiring his spellcrafting a bit more I decided to follow suit.

As I approached our quarters, I began to hear a series of strange noises that seemed to be getting closer. Now, having lived with a prank-prone god and my drunken familiar, I thought I would be prepared for the sight that came barreling down the hallway towards me. The crow was in the lead, somehow managing to render a wide range of profanities with caws as he zoomed past me. Almost directly behind him was the pink fire poker, which was keeping up remarkably well considering the erratic flight path. This sight is not that uncommon, especially when my familiar has had a few, but the sight of Anubis clad in a very loud Hawaiian print shirt, khaki shorts, and white straw hat with sunglasses chasing after them with a video camera while whistling Ride of the Valkyries was an entirely new experience. I just stood there for a minute before shaking my head and making a mad dash for our quarters just in case they decided to loop around. Seeing my still somewhat dazed look, Salazar greeted me with a rather passionate kiss that erased such odd sights from my memory, for the moment at least. Tom was sitting on the couch, watching the touching scene with the same smirk his ancestor uses quite frequently, to which I simply, if somewhat childishly, stuck out my tongue. I noticed that they were both packed, and rather lightly to boot. I had packed my own modest bags the night before, which meant that as soon as the merry pranksters returned we could head off.

Almost as if reading my thoughts, Sal gave me a sly grin and nodded towards the door, which prompted Tom and I to give each other a questioning look before shrugging and sharing the same sly grin as we silently grabbed our bags and snuck off while the rest of our party were otherwise engaged. Trying not to laugh too loudly as we skulked around the corridors like students out past curfew, we made it all the way outside before we heard a very loud and surprised bark. Realizing the jig was up, we all made a mad dash for the apparation point, laughing like madmen even though they were quickly gaining ground. Even as we were apparating to my rather dingy flat in Spinner's End, both god and crow managed to follow, resulting in a rather tangled mess of limbs once we arrived. Even though we were all laughing like the madmen I'm sure we are by now, we managed to get untangled rather quickly and get to the rental car sitting just outside. After shrinking our bags, we decided to do a bit of sightseeing while in town, scaring quite a few other tourists before deciding to park the car in the nearest oak tree. Despite the rather abrupt end to the rental, we still managed to do quite a few of the traditional tourist activities, even though our snickers whenever we spotted a pelican confused Salazar for a moment. Once we related the tale of the pelican and the pigeon, however, he readily joined in the snickering, much to the befuddlement of the other tourists. To confuse the tourists even more, Sal decided to take it upon himself to recount his memories from when London was still young, reminiscing about long-gone streets and buildings. For a brief period of time, a group of American tourists followed him around thinking that he was some kind of novelty tour guide, an illusion that quickly became shattered with the combined efforts of god and crow, much to our amusement. The day was wearing on at that point, so the timing of the car vs. tree debacle actually coincided with our desire to find lodging for the night. After getting our room in order, Sal and I decided to head up to Tom's room to see how much damage had been done already. Much to our amazement, the room was largely unmolested, largely due to the fact that Tom, Anubis, and the crow were all sitting on the bed staring in rapt fascination at the television, which was tuned to a station running a Looney Tunes marathon. I groaned audibly and turned to Sal, but did a double take as I realized that he had joined the rest on the bed and was just as fascinated as they were, even though he was mouthing the dialogue knowingly. With a wry yet loving grin, I decided to venture out for a food run and inspect the status of the car situation, even though the mental image of god and crow learning even more tricks from cartoon rabbits and ducks made me cringe.

Fortunately, there were a great number of eateries available, so I took a bit of time to relax and browse, doing a bit of window shopping as well while I had some peace and quiet. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy my traveling companions, but a break once in a while, especially for one such as me is a welcome thing. Of course, knowing my luck, my peaceful outing was not destined to remain such. As I turned a corner near Hyde Park, I was suddenly grabbed by someone or something inhumanly strong and pulled into a secluded area of the park. I struggled and fought to no avail, and once I was released I immediately sprang into action, wand at the ready and a Sectumsempra curse on my lips. Before I could follow through with the spell, I got a good look at my attacker, which silenced me for the moment, for my inhumanly strong kidnapper was a rather petite yet intimidating woman. Apparently, my actions were highly amusing, for she burst out laughing, a wild, demented sound, which gave me a bit of time to examine my attacker a bit more in detail. Her hair was a vivid red, the colour of fresh blood, and rather disheveled, with twigs and leaves entangled throughout. While, at first glance, she appeared human, the revelation of fingers with sharp, pointed, talon-esque nails shattered the illusion, as did the pointed ears. Finally, she ceased laughing at glared at me, her killing-curse emerald eyes boring into mine. She just stood there, smirking and staring at me with those terrifyingly familiar eyes, made foreign by the madness and bloodlust visible just below the surface, and after a couple minutes everything suddenly fit into place.

"Oh Merlin,", I managed to mutter, "please correct me if I'm wrong, but you are a member of the Slytherin line, are you not?" This made her grin, flashing row after row of pointed, stained teeth, yet she simply nodded. A sardonic grin appeared on my own face now, the madness perhaps spreading as I grew more reckless. "And knowing my luck, you are most likely my future mother-in-law." She laughed once more and winked, nodding the affirmative. "Well, since you have proven that you could likely use my guts for garters in the very literal sense before I was even aware, that leads me to wonder about the motive for this impromptu meeting." I met her gaze, grateful now for the stare-downs with Anubis that I was subjected to more often that I would perhaps like. Baring more teeth, she grinned once more before deigning to respond.

"Hm, so you are the human that he has chosen for a mate." Her voice was harsh, likely from all the wild screaming and laughter that her kind is infamous for. She began to circle around me, inspecting me as if I was a prize cow at a fair. "Some power, a twisted mind, and not an unpleasing form. Not too bad, even though you are still hopelessly mortal." She circled around fully and met my gaze, the madness in hers dimming slightly. "Do not misunderstand me, mortal. I did not seek you out to approve of you as a match for my son. He can make his own choices, and has always done so. No, my reason for this 'meeting', as you put it, is to ensure his continued happiness." At my confused look, she held up her hand to forestall any comments. "You love him, that much I can tell. But one key problem remains, human. He is immortal, and will remain so. You are frail mortal flesh, and as such will fall prey to death." Seeing my shocked look that she somehow managed to strike upon a fear that I had tried to put out of my mind, she grinned once more, an unsettling act in and of itself. "I may not have raised him, but I have watched him, I have enough non-maenad blood to remember such things. He deserves the happiness that having an equally immortal mate will give. You make him happy, this I have seen. I will give you a rare chance, human. Decide now, are you willing to give up your mortality to spend many lifetimes over by his side, or do you wish to live out your natural span."

She just stood there, staring at me as the import of her uncharacteristically generous offer sunk in, and without hesitation I met her gaze. "I will not leave him, if I have a choice", I replied, my voice somewhat shakier then normal. This was not truly a hard decision for me, since a life without Salazar, or worse yet, leaving him truly alone once more is not a thought I could ever stomach, and I think I actually surprised her with the readiness of my reply. She nodded and winked at me playfully in a manner extremely reminiscent of her son. "Yesss, you are definitely not one of the cattle. Very well, I shall find a way for you to keep your promise, on condition that you do not tell my son of our encounter." For the briefest moment, all madness left her demeanor to be replaced with a wistful, loving look. "I wish for this to be a surprise, to show him that I do care for him, underneath it all. I can tell that you will be a fierce champion for him, and while I watch rest that you have nothing to fear. Take care of him, as I was unable to..." Her voice trailed off as the madness returned and she ran off into the woods, shrieking in animalistic pleasure and abandon before disappearing entirely.

As the adrenaline that spiked during the impromptu family reunion wore off, I sat down on a nearby bench and stared off into space as my mind began racing, trying to figure out what solution she would come up with. Not that it overly matters, for as mad as she is I know that she wouldn't hurt me unless I caused harm to Salazar, in which case I would certainly deserve such punishment. After a further moment's thought, I came to the shocking realization that, despite her wildness, I trusted her with her self-appointed quest, and that she must think quite highly of me to even propose such an offer. My spirits somewhat buoyed by this thought, I continued with my original mission of retrieving supper from a rather wonderful smelling Indian restaurant on the corner. Upon my return, I found that all four were still on the bed, laughing at the various cartoon antics. Smelling the food, and probably myself as well, Salazar pulled me down and began to snuggle in my lap, leaving Tom to distribute the food. After a few close calls with the vindaloo, we all settled down and watched the cartoons, enjoying ourselves immensely.

Quite some time had passed before the fatigue of the rather exciting (on all counts) day caught up with us, so I took a rather sleepy Sal back to our room, divesting him of his clothes before laying him down on the bed. Of course, he decided that he wanted company, so with a wave of his hand my clothes were neatly folded in the corner and with a pull of the other I was laying on top of him. He gazed into my eyes with a look of love so profound that his eyes lost their killing curse shine, replaced by the vivid green of new spring leaves, warm and welcoming. Unable to resist, I leaned forward and covered his lips with my own, needing just that tiny bit of confirmation that he is actually in my arms. He sighed contentedly into my mouth and relaxed under me, spreading his legs slightly as I took one hand and stroked it down the side of his body, reveling anew at the smooth, warm silky texture. He began to caress me in return, running his nails with featherlight touches over hyper-sensitive flesh, and before long we were both panting with arousal, yet our movements remained unhurried. As he gazed up at me with a heated, lustful look, I muttered a by now very familiar and useful lubrication spell and, without much of our usual foreplay, slowly slid deep into him, my own lust driven by the divine noises coming from that delicious mouth. Unable to resist, I claimed his mouth as my own as I began to leisurely thrust into him, savouring every gasp, every moan, every twitch of his body until I felt him begin to tense, climaxing with hard, slow waves. Feeling his body ripple around me as his orgasm crested, I clutched his slim frame close to mine as I came harder than I have in, well, okay, just a few days, but still, the waves of pleasure and love washing over me nearly overcame me completely.

After a quick cleaning spell once we were both pleasantly exhausted, he looked at me and gave me a small, tender smile before kissing the tip of my nose and dropping right off to sleep. I lay there for a moment, stroking his hair, with his mother's words from earlier running through my mind. As if it was really a choice. I realized some time ago, even before his revival, that if I ever got the chance to be with the one I fell in love with, I would do everything in my power to never let them go. Besides, if anyone can make immortality interesting, it would be Salazar. And now that I have done the cathartic duty of entering such thoughts into this journal, I believe that I can actually sleep better than I have in a while. Amazing how pouring one's thoughts out in print can clear up such mysteries. Besides, I plan to sleep in, since I really do not wish to go through the business of trying to rent another car first thing. If I have my say, we'll use the abundant public transportation, for I do not trust Anubis to resist the temptation of getting behind the wheel once more, and I'd really rather not leave a trail of wrecked cars in our wake. Hm, it would seem that my beloved is starting to miss his favourite living teddy bear, and far be it for me to deprive him, so I shall return to the warm embrace that I have gotten remarkably used to in such a short time. An eternity of such embraces, there are many worse fates out there, indeed.


	4. Chapter 4

Journal entry the fourth

It is one of the more puzzling mysteries of life that I seem to not possess a single grey hair, especially considering the most recent events that have transpired. We have come to the recent realization that one of the only things scarier than Anubis behind the wheel of a car is both pranksters being set loose on the Tube after relieving, unbeknownst to us, a snack machine of all of it's candy. Well, at least those tourists will have quite a story to tell when they return, even if nobody will believe them. After all, it's not exactly a common occurrence for strange mostly-naked men to cling to the ceiling, let alone use that vantage point to look down the blouses of every single female in the car. That, perhaps, could have been explained, but the addition of my dear, sadistic familiar deciding to drop candy down the lower-cut blouses, leading Anubis to reach down to retrieve said candy was a bit harder. To make it even more fun, Sal was too busy laughing hysterically to do anything, and Tom was too busy apologizing to the now candy-free women. Fortunately, most fell under the spell of Tom's natural charisma, which left me to deal with the authorities, always fun. This little event made me think that perhaps we should leave London for the time being, before we become figures of infamy even more than we are already. After finally arriving at Heathrow, I realized that with all the admittedly amusing distractions we had not yet decided on our next destination. Salazar realized that the same time as I, and after meeting gazes we turned our attention to Tom, who was currently trying to explain why there was a by now mostly naked man running in and out of the metal detectors, grinning at the confused humans. After a moment's thought and quiet discussion, we decided that we would follow the merry pranksters, and our destination would be determined by whichever terminal they randomly would choose. Normally, I would be hesitant to not have even the tiniest bit of structure to our outing, but my inhibitions on such things have been worn down to near nothing as of recently. As a result, we managed to somehow end up a city where even the antics of god and crow don't cause much of a ripple, the scenic city of Amsterdam.

I'm not sure that there is enough whisky in the world to erase the memories of our short but hectic flight, but I think that for the rest of our journey it might be better to find some mode of transportation that does not result in being confined in a pressurized tube far above the ground with two hyper, cackling pranksters trying to molest the flight attendants and drink every complimentary bottle of alcohol on board. I'm not entirely sure how my familiar managed to board, but I suspect that very few people wish to argue with a violence-prone, extremely intelligent, gigantic crow. Salazar simply looked upon their antics with affection and no small amount of mirth, and Tom was simply trying to tune them out by pretending to be enraptured by the brief in-flight movie. I have long ago learned the futility of trying to impose any kind of behaviour restrictions upon the god and crow, but I did grow quite concerned when there was no sign or sound from Anubis for at least fifteen minutes, an eternity by their standards. My curiousity was piqued as I observed two rather attractive female flight attendants emerge from another compartment with their clothes rather disheveled and silly grins plastered on their faces. What caused my eyebrows to nearly disappear into my hairline and the unflappable Salazar to even let out a shocked gasp was the appearance of the god right behind them, a truly hedonistic grin on his face and two different shades of lipstick staining his clothes and skin. I really never thought of Anubis with any kind of sexuality, really, despite the drooling fans and proclivity towards nakedness, but I suppose I should not have been as surprised as I was. He is extremely earthy in his tastes, in retrospect I'm amazed it took him this long to scratch the itch, as it were. I looked at him with shock and curiousity, and with a smirk he managed to project to me that there were none that interested him back at the school, and that they smelled delicious. Shaking off my momentary shock, I nodded and shrugged, hopefully conveying that his romantic liaisons were really none of my business, although knowing him now he will deliberately bring them to my attention just to watch me twitch. Somehow we managed to make the rest of the flight with no other major incident, a minor miracle in and of itself.

To this day, I'm not sure whether or not they chose that terminal by accident or design, but the scene once we managed to quickly depart the airport, despite the flight attendants making googly eyes at Anubis and slipping him their numbers, will forever remind me of kids being handed the keys to the candy factory. Apparently the city was founded after Salazar's time, and somehow in his wanderings he had never found his way here, for he was as mesmerized as the others. The only ones to not be entranced by the beauty and hedonistic appeal were myself and Tom, both having been here before, albeit briefly. Granted, it was during the Death Eater days, and our purposes were not exactly noble or peaceful, but we still knew what to expect. I suppose I should have been a bit more concerned about letting several beings with virtually no self-restraint loose in a place infamous for it's relaxed approach to pleasure of all sorts, but at the time I think I was still just grateful to be away from the plane and airport.

Noting that the others were more or less useless, Tom elected to be the one to find us lodging within the city while I steered our moon-eyed companions to a nearby restaurant that would hopefully be tolerant of mostly naked men and giant crows. Fortunately, we **were** in Amsterdam after all, and barely made the radar. I decided that a nearby restaurant with a delightful patio and outside dining area would be quite suited, for I was understandably hesitant about enclosing myself in close quarters with the pranksters so soon after the plane debacle. The waiter promptly delivered water and gave us several menus, not even batting an eye at our strange group. Since I was not exactly here for pleasure the first time, I momentarily forgot that many cafés throughout Amsterdam offer several menus, usually one for food, perhaps a second one for drinks, and a separate one for items of a far more illicit nature. The thought of any of our party, save Tom who was surprisingly revealed to be a bit of a stoner back in the day, under such an influence was enough to bring back a nervous tic in my eye. Fortunately for my sanity at the moment, it seemed that our party was only interested in food and alcohol at the moment. Salazar ordered for the god and crow, after receiving my familiar's order in parseltongue, and I followed suit. The peaceful silence and camraderie that followed was a very rare but highly enjoyable moment, at least for me. Such a shame that it was so short as the drinks finally arrived, the customary whisky for the crow, a large flagon of beer, which I wasn't even aware that they served here, for Anubis, and a glass of absinthe for Salazar. Feeling in a rather relaxed and celebratory mood, I had ordered myself a black and tan, and one for Tom as well once he arrived at the table.

Somehow, the peaceful mood was not broken for a good bit longer, even when Tom showed up with keys in hand. Apparently he had lucked out and found a suite with two bedrooms, connected by a shared foyer, in one of the nicer hotels just nearby. The food arrived promptly, and I couldn't help but notice that Tom decided to order something extra off of the unused menu, which considering his roommates I couldn't help but sympathize with him. Indeed, the peace and civil conversations lasted just up to when a few rather pretty ladies came cycling by, which promptly drew Anubis's attention, and Tom's as well for that matter. Now recognizing that gleam in his eye that he was about to chase, similar to a dog that sees a very tantalizing squirrel, for once I decided to just sit back and let him do whatever. I'm not a babysitter, after all, and if I were to try to talk him out of things or chase after him fixing all the chaos, I'd be bald by now after having ripped all the hair out of my head. Besides, Salazar decided to nudge me and point to the bicycles parked nearby for rent, which just happened to be where Anubis was heading at that very moment. Tom noticed as well, and inquired on whether or not he knew how to ride, to which Salazar simply shook his head and grinned. Interest piqued, even my familiar stayed perched on my shoulder as we watched the battle of Anubis vs. the poor bicycle vendor. Poor sod never stood a chance, really. All the god had to do was turn on a bit of the charm and the vendor was starstruck.

Deity though he may be, it would seem as if omniscience is definitely not part of his repertoire, for Anubis's first attempt to mount the bike could only be classified as hilarious and borderline obscene. The second attempt was, if anything, worse, for that time he actually fell on his back, legs in the air and kilt almost around his hips. Now, most places I'd be keeping an eye out for the cops, but here they assumed that he was simply drunk or stoned and simply gave him amused looks. I think I love this city. Finally, the god figured out the proper way to sit the bike after watching a couple more passersby, but unfortunately he didn't sit quite properly, and the resulting scream/howl of pain was so hilarious that at this point both Salazar and the crow were on the ground, gasping for breath between bouts of rib-splitting laughter. Tom managed to stay sitting but was in about as bad shape, and I somehow managed to keep just an amused smirk on my face. Inwardly, I was laughing my arse off, but I didn't want to risk missing a second of this debacle to teary eyes and oxygen deprivation. Finding a comfortable seat at last, now the god was confronted with the problem of getting the contraption to move. Apparently, driving a car is far simpler than riding a bike, at least if one doesn't care about silly things like staying on the road, obeying traffic signs, and not driving on the sidewalk, let alone into a tree. The first attempt to move resulting in him falling head over arse the front of the bike, and by now all the nearby patrons and passersby in the street were joining in the hilarity. Nonplussed, Anubis continued to experiment with hilarious results until, miraculously, he managed to finally ride the bike shakily down the street. Watching him go, I simply shrugged and returned to my meal, pausing to drag my still-laughing lover and mildly drunk familiar back to sitting position. If there is any European city that Anubis would possibly fit in, it would definitely be Amsterdam.

Finishing our meal once the laughter had subsided, we decided that it would be good to check into our rooms before heading out to explore further. The hotel was every bit as sumptuous as it looked from the outside, with immaculately kept and elegantly furnished rooms, not to mention a fantastic view. Salazar immediately made a beeline for the massive king-sized bed in the one room, sprawling out after throwing himself on it with enough force to bounce a bit. Feeling in a bit of a playful mood myself, I decided to pretend to stalk him, pouncing on him once I got close enough and pinning him under me. Now, he is far stronger than I, yet he yielded after only a token struggle, the wicked gleam in his eyes. I heard a click, which was later revealed to be Tom heading to his section of the suite with my familiar in tow, likely under duress. Looking into Salazar's eyes, we both burst out in laughing, the absurdity of the day finally catching up with us.

Once the laughing subsided, we locked eyes once more, and where once there was mirth was now desire, raw and hungry. Our lips met, and suddenly it was not as if we had just engaged in such activities a short time before, but rather like the first time all over again. Sliding my lips down, I slowly began to unfasten his shirt, taking my time to taste every inch of skin as it was revealed. He closed his eyes and hummed contentedly, stroking my hair gently with his hand as I continued my worship of his body, ancient yet brimming with life at the same time. I paused for a moment at his pants, trailing light kisses on his abdomen before finally peeling the tight denim off of his long legs, stroking the smooth skin reverently. His eyes were open now, and burning into mine with lust, love, desire and impatience. Smirking up at him, I took a moment to gaze at the perfection that is Salazar Slytherin. Some might say that he is too pale, or a tad on the thin side, but in my eyes he is the most gorgeous being ever formed. Unable to resist, I quickly stripped off my own clothes, needing to feel his skin against mine, and covered his body with my own, seizing his mouth with my own as I poured every ounce of emotion into the kiss. He responded with equal fervor, his body eagerly reacting to our close proximity, but despite his desire I decided to keep things slow, taking the proper time to worship his smooth, silky skin and taut body.

By the time I finally managed to taste and stroke every inch of his delicious skin, Salazar was little more than a quivering ball of lust, all semblance of control shot as he looked down at me with burning, desperate eyes. Taking mercy upon him, I switched our positions so that I was now on my back, with Salazar straddling me. Once this fact penetrated his lust-addled brain, he wasted no time with impaling himself on me, taking me completely in with one stroke. A frisson of wild, animal lust ran through me as I gazed up at the gorgeous creature riding my cock with abandon, moaning and writhing in sheer ecstasy. He gazed down at me, and with a bit of shock I realized that his control had slipped to the point where there was now a tinge of yellow to his emerald gaze, causing my earring to warm slightly against my skin. The thought that I, a flawed, imperfect man, can make this near-divine being lose control like that sent a surge of primal lust and desire through my veins, burning like acid as I felt myself rapidly approach my peak. Managing to moan in warning, I thrust my hips up, burying myself completely in the man that I love and filling him completely. My own orgasm must have sent him off as well, for he exploded a split-second after, coating my chest with streams of pearly cum.

We lay there for a moment, trying to regain some semblance of control, when finally Salazar looked down at me, his emerald gaze now untainted by the yellow death-gaze, and smiled in a dazed and thoroughly sated way. He tried to say something, but was still too caught up in the aftershocks of what was even for us extremely intense sex. Taking pity on my lover, I sat up and took him into my arms, holding him gently as we pressed against each other, enjoying the moment of peace. With a gentle, affectionate kiss, we gaze into each other's eyes and lay down, wrapped around each other to the point where it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. Muttering sweet nothings to each other for a moment, we both promptly fell into Morpheus's sweet embrace, finding a moment of serenity that our troubled lives had rarely experienced before.

The maenad's words still haunt me, but if there was ever any doubt in my mind that such was the path to take, those doubts have been eradicated. I have gone most of my life never really knowing love, let alone the all-consuming passion that I have found with perhaps the most unlikely person, and I would not want to exist without it. Whatever his mother would have me do to attain this goal, I will do. I have done any number of horrible things for far less reward in the past, after all. Hopefully she will sense my eagerness to achieve this goal and come to me as she did before, for I have not the faintest idea on how to find her myself. Well, such things can wait for the moment I suppose. I have waited this long to find my true calling in life, a bit longer won't hurt. The thought of being with him, our fates entwined for eternity, fills me with a sense that this is right, this is what we have been waiting for, suffering for all these years. I will return to my rest, I have a feeling that tomorrow will be...exciting, to say the least.


End file.
